STONY BROOK, N.Y. - After becoming the first team in league history to win four-straight America East regular-season titles, the Stony Brook Seawolves took home three major honors at the conference’s annual awards banquet held Thursday night on the eve of the America East Women’s Lacrosse Championship in Stony Brook, N.Y.
Junior Courtney Murphy was named Offensive Player of the Year, senior Alyssa Fleming took home Co-Defensive Player of the Year and head coach Joe Spallina grabbed Coach of the Year honors after helping the Seawolves claim their third unbeaten America East regular-season in the last four years. Binghamton freshman Rebecca Golderman was named Rookie of the Year and Albany senior Christine Johnson joined Fleming as Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
Award winners were nominated by their own coaches and voted on by the conference’s head coaches, who could not vote for their own team.
Offensive Player of the Year
Courtney Murphy, Jr., Attack, Stony Brook
- Leads the country in both goals per game (5.00) and points per game (5.71).
- Set the America East single-season record with 38 goals during conference play.
- Has 85 goals on the season, just six shy of the America East record in all games played.
- Has paced a Stony Brook offense that ranks fourth in the nation, scoring 14.00 goals per game.
- First Seawolf to earn the honor.
- One of 25 players in the country to be a Tewaaraton Award nominee
Co-Defensive Player of the Year
Christine Johnson, Sr., Defense, Albany
- Ranks fifth in the conference in caused turnovers per game (1.13).
- Picked-up 19 ground balls and added 20 draw controls.
- Has anchored the Albany defense, helping the Great Danes hold opponents to 7.00 goals per game.
Co-Defensive Player of the Year
Alyssa Fleming, Sr., Defense, Stony Brook
- Integral part of a Stony Brook defense that ranks second in the nation, holding opponents to 5.82 goals per game.
- Ranks second in the league, averaging 1.94 caused turnovers per game.
- Led the team with 28 ground balls.
- Third-straight Seawolf to earn the honor.
Rookie of the Year
Rebecca Golderman, Fr., Attack, Binghamton
- Becomes the first Bearcat ever to be named Rookie of the Year.
- Led all freshman in both goals (30) and points (27) for the Bearcats.
- Ranked 11th in the conference with 1.80 goals per game.
Coach of the Year
Joe Spallina, Stony Brook
- Named Coach of the Year for the third time overall and second-straight season.
- Led Stony Brook to its third unbeaten conference season in the last four years.
- Has the Seawolves ranked sixth in the Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and seventhin the IWLCA Coaches’ Poll
- Stony Brook is second in the country in scoring defense and fourth in scoring offense.
Murphy and Fleming were two of six Seawolves selected to the All-Conference First Team. Joining Murphy on the attack was 2015 Rookie of the Year, Kylie Ohlmiller, while last year’s Defensive Player of the Year, Maegan Meritz, joined Fleming on defense. Midfielder Dorrien Van Dyke and goalkeeper Anna Tesoriero also earned first-team honors. The Great Danes had four first-team selections as Johnson was joined by attacker Dakotah Savitcheff, and midfielders Sarah Martin and Rachel Bowles. UMBC junior Sam Nolan rounded out the attack, while Carolyn Jamison earned a spot at midfield. The conference’s leader in caused turnovers, Binghamton’s Allie Rodgers, was the lone Bearcat on first team.
New Hampshire had four players selected to the second team, including a pair of attackers in Nicole Grote and Laura McHoul. Midfielder Carly Wooters and defender Hope Kissick also earned their first-ever all-conference selections. Albany sophomore Alie Jimerson and Binghamton junior Callon Williams were selected as attackers along with Grote and McHoul. Golderman headlined the midfielders that also included Stony Brook junior Kristin Yevoli and Vermont senior Vanessa VanderZalm. Albany junior Sierra McIver, Stony Brook junior Jessica Volpe and Vermont junior Meghan Cobb rounded out the defense. Albany senior Courtney Henderson earned her second-straight all-conference selection at goalkeeper
Eleven student-athletes regardless of position were selected to the All-Rookie team. Golderman and Tesoriero were two of four unaninimous selections along with Albany midfielder Kaylee Rickert and Stony Brook midfielder Keri McCarthy. Albany led all teams with three selections, as attacker Rachel Heidenreich and defender Shannon Lynch joined Rickert. Binghamton, UMass Lowell and Stony Brook each had a pair of honorees, as midifielder Olivia Batista joined Golderman for the Bearcats while UMass Lowell had both attacker Noelle Lambert and midfielder Kelly Moran earn recognition. New Hampshire attacker Cat Sextion and Vermont defender Avery Hogarth finished the All-Rookie selections.
Six of the All-Conference honorees also earned all-academic accolades after excelling on the field and sustaining at least a 3.30 cumulative GPA in the classroom. Among those were Albany’s Johnson and Martin, Stony Brook’s Murphy and Van Dyke, Vermont’s VanderZalm and Binghamton’s Williams. Joining those six included Binghamton junior Sharon Bossert, UMBC sophomore Marissa Davey and senior Megan Flock, UMass Lowell senior Laura Kender and New Hampshire sophomore Devan Miller.
Thirty-six of the 48 All-Conference, All-Rookie and All-Academic selecitons will be in action at the 2016 America East Women’s Lacrosse Championship, which will be held at Stony Brook’s Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium. Action begins on Friday, May 6 with #1 Stony Brook hosting #4 New Hampshire in the first semifinal at 5 p.m. and #2 Albany taking on #3 UMBC at 7:30 p.m. The championship game will be played Sunday, May 8 at noon and air live on ESPN3 as well as the WatchESPN app.